Cocke County Disaster Risk

Cocke County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 55th percentile nationally out of 3,144 counties. This composite score reflects the county's overall exposure to natural hazards including floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes, weighted by expected annual loss and social vulnerability.

Cocke County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (77th percentile), flooding (68th percentile), wildfire (62th percentile), tornado (50th percentile), hurricane (36th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 77th percentile nationally. These scores are derived from FEMA's National Risk Index, which analyzes expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience for each hazard type.

Cocke County's composite risk percentile is 55th, compared to the Tennessee state average of 53th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Cocke County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Tennessee.

Yes, Cocke County's earthquake risk is at the 77th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Cocke County is at the 68th percentile.

FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) calculates risk scores for 18 natural hazard types across all U.S. counties and census tracts. The composite score combines Expected Annual Loss (estimated dollar losses from each hazard), Social Vulnerability (demographic factors affecting disaster impact), and Community Resilience (ability to recover). Percentile scores rank each county against all 3,144 U.S. counties, and risk ratings range from Very Low to Very High.

Cocke County's composite risk score of 55th percentile is above the Tennessee state average of 53th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by earthquake exposure (77th percentile), along with flooding and wildfire and tornado risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.